Germany and Denmark's Round of 16 matchup at Euro 2024 had to be stopped before halftime after rain and thunder created an unsafe atmosphere for the players and fans at Signal Iduna Park.
The match was suspended just a handful of minutes before the game went into halftime with both teams tied at 0-0. Once lightning struck nearby and rain began to fall at a torrential pace, officials elected to stop the game to make sure no fans or athletes were hurt as a result.
Almost immediately, fans went to social media to describe the scenes in Dortmund, many posting pictures of incredible lightning strikes happening around them. With the game being stopped, players from both sides were ushered into the tunnels to make sure no one was seriously hurt.
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Clive Tyldsley explained the stoppage due to rain was something he had not experienced before. "In the 37 years I've been doing this, I can't remember a game being stopped for thunder and lightning," he said during a broadcast.
That said, players were then spotted leaving the tunnel and went back onto the pitch, where they began to stretch and warm up again. The game officially was restarted in the 35th minute just minutes before the 4 p.m. ET.
Minutes after the restart, Germany almost netted its first goal off a set piece. Germany was rewarded a free kick and it took an impressive save from Kasper Schmeichel, the son of legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, to keep the game level at 0-0, blocking away Kai Havertz's header.
Interestingly enough, Danish coach Kasper Hjulmand coached in a game where a player was struck by lightning, which led to the player eventually losing part of his left leg [ H/T Bo Schwartz Madsen on X ]. The player, Jonathan Richter, was forced to retire at 24 after the loss of his leg.
This is not the first time strange occurrences have affected the German national team. Before the team's matchup with Denmark, Germany's manager Julian Nagelsmann shared that the team had been battling mosquitos while preparing for the rest of the tournament.
The Adidas-built Home Ground camp has been affected by what can be referred to as a mosquito invasion , as many players and members of the coaching staff were bitten by the insects.
To combat the mosquitos, cocoa fumes have been used. Despite the situation and the odor, Nagelsmann reiterated that the team was focused solely on beating Denmark to advance.
"It doesn't matter if you're the hosts or not, the expectation of our fans is always the same," he told reporters. "They always want to see a successful team. It's a huge boost and a great feeling when we see all the images out in the streets, with our fans cheering us on and celebrating the games. And we want to help create more memories for them. It's an extra push for our team."
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